


Escape the Moon

by flightinflame



Category: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (TV 2016)
Genre: Cinnamon Roll Dirk Gently, First Dates, M/M, Teambuilding, escape room
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-06 23:41:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17354855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/pseuds/flightinflame
Summary: Dirk and the rest of the agency staff take a celebratory trip to an escape room. Dirk mostly uses this as a chance to get close to Michael.Part of the Holistic Gift Exchange - for woodenemy00





	Escape the Moon

**Author's Note:**

> For woodenemy00, thanks to L and V for all their help with this one, and huge thanks to prince-of-the-jellies for organising the exchange.  
> (The prompt here was Dirk/Assistent, with either something wholesome or something to do with being trapped and finding a way out - I hope I have succeeded)

Dirk stopped on his way past Michael's desk, leaning over to examine the succulent that was growing there, and clapping his hands in delight at the little alien desk ornament which supported the pot. Michael's answering smile was shy, clearly delighted that the detective had noticed the change in decor. Technically, noticing things like this was Dirk's job but he was glad that doing his job well could make Michael smile.

Michael was smiling a lot more now than he had been when he had first moved in a few weeks ago, rescued from a rundown motel where he had been living in terror of Blackwing finding him. Dirk liked that smile. It was hard to imagine the sweet man who had taken the spare room of his and Todd's apartment as one of the people involved in Blackwing. He was different now. Happier. Dirk remembered to hand Michael his coffee, and Michael smiled at him.  
"Thanks Dirk."  
"No worries." Dirk shrugged a little, glancing at the computer. "How's the organisation going?"  
"It's getting there. Was... was the shark really inside the cat?"  
"Oh, Jaws is a sweetie really."  
"Is?"  
"Todd's sister is travelling with her for the moment, but she'll probably arrive here at some point." Dirk answered, not really noticing the concerned expression on Michael's face at the fact that a kitten-shark was likely to visit at some point. "Just keep her away from shoelaces."

"Will… do..." Michael replied carefully. Todd cleared his throat, and Dirk remembered that _technically_ he had an agency to run and so was meant to be doing things other than flirting with the secretary.

Todd looked at him curiously.  
"Dirk?"  
"Yes?"  
"I think once the organizing is finished, we should go somewhere to celebrate. There's an escape room a few blocks away, it's just opened and it's got an alien-themed room."

Dirk's eyes lit up with excitement, and he turned to Michael, who was already looking hopeful. Delighted, he embraced Todd.  
"Get us a booking for four or five, and we can go there then."  
"Will do," Todd answered, already loading up the website. He didn't bother mentioning that the room relied on there being two teams, so Dirk and Michael would get some time to work together without the others being around. He thought he could leave that as a surprise for them when they got there. It was good to see Dirk looking happy, even if his enthusiasm was a little exhausting. Still, that enthusiasm seemed to be Michael's problem now, and Todd was determined to give Dirk the final careful push to send him into Michael’s arms.

***

The escape room itself was set in a fairly nondescript and boring building, but the inside was something else. They were greeted by a couple of bored looking teenagers in silver outfits, one of whom was definitely hiding a textbook behind her back.  
"Hello earthlings," one greeted them. Michael hesitated, feeling a little worried the others would be bored, but Dirk stepped forwards with a bright grin on his face.  
"Greetings. We have a booking for four under the name of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detectives, ah yes, there," he jabbed at the time slot sheet. "Thank you."  
"So have you decided who is in your alpha team?"

"Our what?"  
"Your alpha team. The pair that will be entering first and finding codes to relay to the other team."  
"Oh, that can be me and Michael," Dirk said quickly. "I'm excellent at finding codes, and Michael is excellent support, plus that way Farah and Todd can do all the physical things. Well, Farah can and Todd can provide superior moral support."  
"Thanks Dirk," Todd muttered to himself.  
"See, this is what I mean." Dirk grinned, grabbing Michael's hand and leading him forwards into the room. 

It was fairly realistically decorated, with panels and buttons across.  
"This is for your module," the bored female teenager explained. "Your partners will be through here..." she pointed at a circular window, which looked out over an artificial moonscape. "You can communicate with these buttons, and via this tube, but otherwise communications between the two groups are blocked."  
"Thank you." Dirk smiled, and looked at Michael once she had left. "You know, I have absolutely no hunches."

"And that's good?"  
"It's marvellous. It means we're in no danger, there are no cases, we can just relax and have fun and solve this puzzle. Much better than the last time I did something like this, that was the death maze and really it was a little too stabby and on fire to be fun."  
"Death... maze?" Michael asked, sounding kind of uncertain. Dirk laughed.  
"Oh, under the Ridgely building," he began to explain, surprised by the funny colour that Michael turned as he talked him through it. It was almost as though Michael had never heard of this kind of situation. When he reached the part where the Rowdies saved him by dragging him through the wall, Michael walked over and hugged him tightly.

Dirk liked the hug, even if it felt a little unneeded. He hugged back.  
"Are you alright Michael?"  
"I really just... wish you'd stop nearly dying."  
"Oh." Dirk paused. "I mean, I'm not nearly dying at the moment? If that's helpful? And we've got a puzzle to solve." He glanced through the porthole to see that Farah and Todd were exploring the landscape with the help of a small grey alien on Todd's hand that he suspected was Mona.

Farah was deep in conversation with both Todd and Mona, explaining what they were doing. Dirk had never bothered to learn lipreading - he'd tried a few times and found out that knowing what was coming could often be worse, so then he'd stopped bothering. Michael's arm was around his waist, and he stopped for a moment to lean in close, considering if he could steal a kiss.

"If you are looking for a key you are in the wrong area," a teenage voice drawled over the microphone, and the two of them stumbled back laughing, a faint blush visible on Michael's cheeks.  
"Sorry," Dirk muttered, before flashing a grin at Michael that implied he maybe wasn't very sorry at all.

Michael picked up a silver envelope, opening it with a flourish.  
 _Two by two needs four keys, and step inside a problem sees, the first and fourth are side by side, but one in truth the other lies. The second is upon the mound, the third is hardest to be found. Home alone or lost in space, the third key requires steps retraced. When all of the keys are turned round, then friends as four find solid ground._  
"What?" Dirk asked, leaning over his shoulder and murmuring the poem to himself.

"Well?" Michael asked Dirk, and Dirk shrugged a little.   
"I haven't done this kind of thing as not-a-case before," Dirk mumbled, reading it over. "So we need four keys-"  
"One each," Michael agreed. "So that's two in here and two in the other room.... if we're inside-"  
"Then we can find the first ones..." Dirk pushed a button, signalling Farah and Todd over and reciting the poem.  
"What's it mean?" Todd asked, and Dirk sighed.

"We aren't sure yet," Michael answered. "But the second key is on the mound. There are no mounds here, why don't you look through and see what you can find outside."  
Todd headed off to do that, and Dirk paused, reading through the poem again. His concentration was interrupted when Todd scrabbled in the dust, lifting aloft a silver key.  
"Three to go," Dirk murmured, and then paused. "A problem we can see..." He moved his head, looking at the outside, and then at the reflection, before pressing for the others to return.

"I can see letters reflected on the window. Can you see anything reflected where you stand?"  
"The SA of Saturn." Farah answered.  
"Alright, I can do that..." Dirk pushed S and A on the keyboard, and a drawer picked up, revealing a second key. "So that's... ... S and A are as, it could be that..." he turned to the keyboard, pushing letters. "L-I-E-S."   
There was a faint thump, and Farah held up another key.  
"So, we have keys two, one and four," Michael kept track, aware he was so far the only one who was keyless. "So that leaves the hardest... it's got to be in this section. But maybe there's a clue outside."

The four of them spread out, searching. Dirk continued repeating the end of the poem.  
"Home alone or lost in space, the third key requires steps retraced-"

"The Earth!" Michael said quickly. "Call them back... Todd, I need you to go over to the model of the Earth, there's a clue there."  
Todd raced over, returning with a small toy rocket, with the number 11 on it, which he held up to the window. 

Michael looked around, and yelled in delight when he spotted a poster of the Apollo landing craft. 

He felt behind it, pulling out a key, which he brought over to the waiting keyhole. He held it up triumphantly, and Dirk grinned at him, before he lined it up with the key hole. He placed it in, and then each turned their key in turn. The dividing wall between the two sections slid away, and they rushed forwards to embrace.

Dirk looked around smugly, snapping his fingers.  
"Did it!"  
"We did it," Todd agreed, and the toy alien let out a happy trill. Farah pulled them all into a hug.

***

They were all laughing as they headed for ice cream afterwards, but Michael stayed closer to Dirk.  
"Is everything okay Michael?"  
"It is. I just... in there... it looked like you almost..."  
"I'm sorry," Dirk murmured. "I was just carried away by-"  
"I'd have liked it if you did."  
"Oh," Dirk mumbled, leaning in and brushing his lips against Michael's. "We should. Um. We should go and celebrate the fact we did so well and you found that last key. A celebration date. A celedate-"  
"Are you asking me on a date Dirk?"  
"I... think so?"  
"I'd like that," Michael whispered, leaning in and kissing him. Todd whistled, and Dirk broke away with a shy smile.  
"I think I like solving puzzles with you."

Michael had to agree with that, especially when the puzzles were not lethal. Not lethal puzzles were rare around Dirk, but he felt Dirk was worth the risk.  
"Another escape room soon then?"


End file.
